A linear guide device for guiding an object performing reciprocating linear motion in the movement direction thereof is generally configured so as to comprise a guide rail formed in a straight line shape, a slider relatively moving in the lengthwise direction of the guide rail, and a large number of rolling elements rollably incorporated in the slider. The slider includes a slider body having a plurality of slider side rolling element rolling grooves facing to a plurality of rail side rolling element rolling grooves formed on the guide rail, a pair of end caps mounted at one end and the other end of the slider body, a plurality of return guides that form between the end caps and the return guides a direction change path communicating with a rolling element load rolling path formed between the rail side rolling element rolling groove and the slider side rolling element rolling groove and communicating with a rolling element return passage formed in the slider body, and a plurality of rolling element holding members for holding the rolling elements interposed between the rail side rolling element rolling groove and the slider side rolling element rolling groove.
Such a rolling element holding member of the slider is conventionally formed of a metallic material, which poses a problem in that metal contact easily occurs between the rolling elements. To solve this problem, a device in which the rolling element holding member is resin molded integrally with the return guide has been devised (for example, refer to JP-UM-A-59-181331 and JP-A-11-72119).
However, if the rolling element holding member is resin molded integrally with the return guide, since the return guide has a larger thickness than the rolling element holding member, deformation easily occurs due to a sink mark at the time of resin molding. If a thickness engraved part is formed on the back side of the return guide to prevent the above deformation, the construction of a mold used when the rolling element holding member and the return guide are resin molded becomes complicated, which poses a problem of increased cost etc.
Also, in the linear guide device disclosed in JP-A-11-72119, the return guide resin molded integrally with the rolling element holding member projects to the rolling element return passage. Therefore, it is necessary to assemble the rolling element holding member integrated with the return guide to the slider body before a rolling element return passage forming member for guiding a space holding belt that keeps the space between the rolling elements at a space before the rolling element holding member is inserted in the rolling element return passage such that the rolling elements do not interfere with each other, which poses a problem of impaired assembling ability of the slider.